That Darned KNEE and Another SOUP! - Tomato Cheddar Dumpling Soup (Two Ways!)

My posts have been kind of spotty lately, partly because I've been working on my so-called "home office" and just this past weekend because The Uncooperative Knee went rogue again and Somebody had to have surgery on it.  That's NINE since March of 2019.  So it's going to be back to home nursing once again.

Oh well.  It is what it is.

ANYWAY!  I thought I had already written a post about this particular soup, but I was WRONG.  So here it is!

I found this soup recipe when I was browsing the internet.  It sounded tasty and easy (two reasons to like it), so it was put into the soup rotation.  It's a pretty basic recipe - tomato soup with cheddar dumplings, and really easy, no matter which way you decide you make it.  It's just super fast and convenient one way, and not so fast the other.  Mostly common pantry staples either way.


Tomato Cheddar Dumpling Soup (Two Ways)

The Original Way

For the soup:
2 T canola or olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped red bell pepper
3 T flour
28 oz whole canned tomatoes, undrained
2 c water
2 T minced celery leaves
2 T sugar
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t dried basil

For the dumplings:
1 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 T shortening or butter
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c milk

In a 4-quart pan, heat the oil, and saute the garlic, onion, and bell pepper until fragrant.  Blend in the flour and let it cook about a minute.  Add the tomatoes and break them up.  Add the remaining soup ingredients.  While it is heating to a simmer, mix up the dumplings.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in the shortening or butter to make loose crumbs.  Add the cheese and milk and mix until all dry ingredients have been moistened.

By this time, the soup should be at a simmer.  Drop the dumpling batter into the soup by tablespoons, or use a sprayed cookie scoop.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes.


The Convenient Way

For the soup:
Use your favorite shelf-stable tomato soup and prepare enough to make about 2 quarts of soup. Heat it to a simmer.  You might want to add some garlic powder and basil.  It's up to you!

For the dumplings:
1  7.75-oz box of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit or similar mix (Aldi has a good one)
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 T melted butter
1/2 c milk

Mix all the ingredients together, including the contents of the entire seasoning packet from the biscuit mix.  Treat the batter the same way as the Original Way, above.  By this time, the soup should be at a simmer.  Drop the dumpling batter into the soup by tablespoons, or use a sprayed cookie scoop.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

OR

1 c Bisquick or similar baking mix (Jiffy makes a good one)
1/2 c shredded cheddar 
1/3 c milk

Mix all the ingredients together.  Treat the batter the same way as the Original Way, above.  By this time, the soup should be at a simmer.  Drop the dumpling batter into the soup by tablespoons, or use a sprayed cookie scoop.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

That's all there is to it!  

Chicken Alfredo Casserole - Easy Comfort Food from the Pantry

I was moping around the house, wondering what to fix for dinner.  No motivation.  Just down in the dumps, sort of.  I needed some Comfort Food.  I stared blankly into the turntable cabinet, and finally, inspiration!  Chicken alfredo casserole to the rescue!

Nothing to thaw, nothing exotic.  Just pantry and refrigerator staples.  I did liven it up a bit by steaming some fresh asparagus from the garden for a side dish.


Chicken Alfredo Casserole

8 to 16 oz farfalle (or pasta of your choice)
1 jar (14 1/2 oz) alfredo sauce (I like Prego)
12 oz canned white meat chicken, undrained
9 oz jarred whole button mushrooms, drained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Italian blend cheese, divided
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook pasta according to directions on the box.  While the pasta cooks, mix the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl, reserving 1 cup of the shredded cheese for the topping. 

When the pasta is al dente, drain and then add it to the mixture in the bowl.  Mix everything together well.  Place the mixture in a sprayed 9" x 13" baking dish, and spread the remaining shredded cheese over the top.  Cover with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and return to the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit about 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE:  You can use anywhere from 8 to 16 oz of pasta, depending on what you like.  Me, I LOVE pasta, so I use the whole 16 oz.  If you use less, you may want to use a smaller baking dish.  You may want to adjust how much alfredo sauce, too, if you use the full 16 oz of pasta and like your pasta saucy.  Have FUN with it!